Christodoulides: Ultimate goal of aid is to allow Palestinians to remain in Gaza

President Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday the “ultimate goal” of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza is to allow Palestinians to remain there.

Speaking at Epiphany celebrations in Larnaca, Christodoulides said “the sending of humanitarian aid does not in any case imply the removal of Palestinians from Gaza. On the contrary, the ultimate goal of humanitarian aid, apart from addressing the challenges these people face, is to enable them to stay in the area.”

He also said that efforts regarding Cyprus’ humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza “are continuing”.

“Let me clarify something, because I saw something in relation to the Palestinians’ reaction [to the corridor]. The Palestinians have been supportive of this effort from the beginning,” he said.

He added that he had been told as much by the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh during a meeting in France, and said “the concern of the Palestinians, of the international community, which we also share, is that the population does not leave Gaza.”